


smooth seas and all that

by SearchingforSerendipity



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: 15 facts plus 1, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Davos and Stannis adopt Jon, Jon Seaworth-Baratheon, Jon Snow is Adopted, M/M, Shireen is the best little sister ever, adopted family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 01:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4728008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SearchingforSerendipity/pseuds/SearchingforSerendipity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifteen Facts About Jon Snow, Plus One About Jon Seaworth-Baratheon.</p><p>  <em>Jon Snow is accepted into the custody of the Westerosi Foster System fifty eight hours after his birth, six after his mother, identity undisclosed, dies in her rose-scented hospital bed. His file says it was blood loss caused by a ruptured uterus. Nobody blames him for her death because there's no one to care. Nobody absolves him either, though Da comforts and Father rationalizes and Shireen understands.<em></em></em><br/> <br/><em>He teaches himself how to, eventually.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	smooth seas and all that

**Author's Note:**

> The title is a reference to the proverb "smooth seas don't make skilfull sailors", or any such variation. 
> 
> I own nothing.

1 - He finds Ghost in a dog incubator at the vet when they bring old Patchface for a routine check-up. He's a shriveled ball of white fur and loneliness and Jon falls in love with him, with the reflection of who he is, who he had been. The doctors tell them he's the runt of the litter, that his mother rejected him at birth and Jon catches Shireen's eye, smiles wryly. Later, when Father complains about pointless booth-eating mutts, Da laughs and points out he's the one who gives him the most treats and Jon feels Ghost's slight weight on his arms, smiles, smiles.

2 - The only music Father approves of are complicated arias by dead composers with unpronounceable names. Jon has piano lesson since he's young enough to sit still in the stool, but it's the guitar he likes best. Da sits beside him in the porch and places his fingers over the strings, teaches him the nameday tunes and folk songs he can't play anymore. Hand over hand, Jon's palms are smaller, but his fingers out length his from a young age. Still, he only really begins to love music for music's sake when he watches Ashara Dayne play the dornish cello during Dragonstone's Cultural Week Program. He asks to learn more about it that same day, and begins lessons the next week. 

3 - Shireen is sweet and smart and scarred in a way Jon recognizes from the white line crossing his face, the sweat-soaked dreams that keep him awake at night. Jon loves her an absurd amount, almost as much as he respects her stubborn will. There are is no better little sister in the world, and he's terribly proud when she answers Joffrey's insults to their fathers with so much cutting honesty that he stumbles out of the room calling for his mother.

4 - The first time Jon meets His Honor Judge Stannis Baratheon he's six and his words are knives, surgically precise weapons that rip Orell apart the way he used to say he would to do to Jon when he was too loud or too quiet or too Jon. It's the first time anyone defends Jon, actually uses words like justice and punishment and idiocy that aren't pointed at him, like they actually mean something. It's not quite hero worship, but it grows into something better. 

5 - The first time Jon meets Davos Seaworth he's a trembling mess, hiding behind Orell's garage and clutching his torn cheek, pressing sweaty palms on sticky blood. There's something hard on his eyes when he asks Jon how he got hurt, but is voice is soft and his arms are strong when he lift him in his arms. Jon fears him because he fears everyone and hard-eyed strong-armed man most of all, but Davos makes it difficult, telling him silly stories and holding his hand through all of the fourteen stitches. 

6 - Jon has never seen snow in his life. Dragonstone is rainy all year round but only freezes on top of the Dragonmount, Storm's End is better known for the huge waves and fearsome thunder and King's Landing in too muggy. Sometimes he daydreams about it, but only when it's hot and he's bored.

7 - His favorite color is grey. Uncle Renly says it's the most boring color, isn't even part of the rainbow but Jon likes it. He likes Shireen cheeks and Father's beard and the way grey is neither light nor dark without apologizing for it. Grey is overcast skies and misty days at the beach and the eye color of the woman in Jon's birth certificate file. It's potential at its most tactile, something Jon has lacked for so long, is too greedy for.

8 - Jon takes a long time leaning not to apologize. Afterwards he doesn't do it often, stores his regret for the important things. I'm sorry never tastes like it does to others on his tongue, but he gives it a shape of his own making, and that's good, it's more than good.

9 - Sam's not really his cousin, because not even the ancestry obsessed Tarlys would consider the foster son of a cousin's ex-husband current husband as an actual relative, but neither of them cares. He is his best friend, ever since they shared a hiding spot in Storm's End library during a family gathering gone-wrong. They call and Skype and write long letter-like mails to each other. Jon spends the days after Sam is finally kicked out of his house but before he arrives on Dragonstone organizing his book shelves in an alphabetical order so Sam would know where to find them.

10 - Jon Snow is accepted into the custody of the Westerosi Foster System fifty eight hours after his birth, six after his mother, identity undisclosed, dies in her rose-scented hospital bed. His file says it was blood loss caused by a ruptured uterus. Nobody blames him for her death because there's no one to care. Nobody absolves him either, though Da comforts and Father rationalizes and Shireen understands. He teaches himself how to, eventually. 

11 - He never learns how to ride an horse. He sails instead. Wind on his cheeks, rope burning his hands, Jon builds himself up, is reborn from the foam.

12 - Da is a Terry Pratchett fan, Father quotes Dostoevsky the way romantic teenagers do Shakespeare and Shireen likes to bury herself in old paperback Tolkiens and C.S.Lewis', while Jon is more of an adventures and fantasy kind of guy, with a bit of science fiction and thrillers thrown in. Stephen King is the master, but he spends the holidays of his thirteenth nameday devouring anything by Agatha Christie he can get his hands on. 

13 - In this vein, there is nothing quite like watching an ex-criminal and a judge of realm discussing crappy crime shows. Jon now knows more about how to pull off a successful heist and the loopholes of the law than he will ever need to know. 

14 - The day his fathers marry Jon is best man. To whom is unclear, but it is not as if the ceremony is very orthodox anyway. It's not an elopement, but the lack of Baratheon's beyond Shireen is a very pointed relief. It rains all through the ceremony, harsh sheets of water silhouetted by blue-violet lightning, and the thunder drowns out the government official, and it doesn't matter because both the grooms know the words don't need to be said. There's no cake, only microwaved onion soup and salted fish, and it's better than any feast. Jon keeps a photo of that day in his wallet at all times.

15 - By the time he's fifteen he does not answer to Jon Snow anymore. The moment he signs the last of name changing papers he feels weightlessly glad, a moored ship tasting water for the first time. It's alright. Judging by Father's blinking and Da's arms warm around his back he's not the only one.

+1

Jon has no brothers. He has a dog, a cat, a sister, two fathers and a best friend. He lives in a dank stone mansion in a dank stone island, and his hands are callused, the hair in his arms is blanched by saltwater. He rises early in the morning with the seagull's cries and looks out at the sea, the grey horizon whose taunts don't bother him anymore, and smiles, smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, bookmarks and comments are always welcome!


End file.
